Flora Medica

A SCLEPI ADAGES.asclep. 63. Periploca indica Wittd. i. 1251. Asclepias pseudosarsaRoxb. fl.ind. ii. 39. (Eheede x. t. 34. JBurm. zeyl.187. t. 83. f. 1. Pluk. t. 359. f. 2. and t. 361. f. 1.)Commonall over the peninsula of India.Root long and slender, with few ramifications, covered with rustcolouredbark, which possesses a peculiarly sort of pleasant fragrance,whether fresh or dried. Stems twining, diffuse, or climbing, woody,slender, generally from the thickness of a goose's quill, to that of acrow's quill, nearly smooth. Leaves opposite, short stalked, in shapevariable. On the young shoots that issue from old roots, and lie on theearth, they are linear, acute, and striated down the middle with white;on the superior, and old branches, they are generally broad-lanceolate,even, sometimes ovate or oval ; all are entire, smooth, shining, and of afirm texture, the length and breadth very various. Stipules four-fold,small, on each side of each petiole, caducous. Racemes axillary, sessile,imbricated with flowers, and then with scales like bracts. Flowerssmall ; outside green, inside a deep purple. Calyx divisions acute.Corolla flat divisions ; oblong, pointed, inside rugose. Follicles long,slender, spreading. Roxb. The Sarsaparilla of India is chiefly theroot of this species a decoction of it is ; prescribed by European practitionersin cutaneous diseases, scrophula, and venereal affections.Ainslie. It is said to be quite as efficient a medicine as the best Sarsaparillaof America; and is probably the drug from which Mr.Garden obtained what he calls smilasperic acid. A great deal of it isconsumed in London now, as a very fine kind of Sarsaparilla.SECAMONE.Corolla rotate. Coronet 5-leaved ;the leaflets laterally compressed,attached by the longer edge, turned backwards, simple.Pollen-masses 20, erect, attached by fours to the point of eachunfurrowed corpuscleof the stigma. Stigma contracted at thepoint. Follicles smooth. W. and A.11 54-. S. emetica R.Br. inprodr. under p. 320. R. and S.vi. 124. W. and A. ascl. 60. Periploca emetica Retz. obs.ii. 14. Wittd. phyt.i. 6. t. 5. 3. Southern parts of thef.Peninsula of India, in thickets at the foot of mountains, common.A smooth twining shrub. Leaves short-stalked, veinless, smooth ,varying from elliptical to narrow-lanceolate. Cymes inter-axillary, fewflowered,or many-flowered, shorter than the leaves. Flowers verysmall, greenish. Coronet with cultriform leaflets, about half as shortagain as the stigma-cover. Follicles slender, tapering to the point.Roots acrid and emetic.1155. S. Alpini R. and S. vi. 125. Periploca SecamoneLinn. mant. 216. Secamone Prosp. Alpin. (Egypt. 135. t. 134.Egypt.Stem twining, shrubby, smooth. Leaves lanceolate-elliptical, stalked,smooth, paler beneath, with transverse veins. Panicles axillary, dichotornous,shorter than the leaves. Flowers minute, white, hairy inside,A drastic, said by some to yield what is called Smyrna Scammony ;but this is very doubtful. 544